laoape



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. LAGAPE. MEGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Feb. 13, 1883.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet '2 J. LAOAPE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 272.269. Patented Feb. 13,1883.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. J. LAGAPE.

MECHANICAL MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Feb. 13,1883.

lITllTl mull/11mm @fyzreniar: m' lem 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(RolodeL) V J. LAUAPE MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Feb. 13, 1883.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lfihognpher, WashingYu-n D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrien.

JEAN LAOAPE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO J. LAOAPE 85 00., OF SAMEPLACE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,269, dated February18, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEAN LAOAPE, a citizen of the French Republic,residing in Paris, in said Republic, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention is applicable to all mechani- IO cal musical instrumentsin which the execution of musical pieces is obtained by notation oncylinders, the rotation of which is effected by hand, foot, or otherpower.

The invention consists in novel means of effecting and controlling thelongitudinal moveme'n ts of the. cylinder for the purpose of changingthe tunes, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is atransverse vertical sectionof an upright piano with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the cylinder and its driving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of the driving mechanism on a larger scalethan Figs. 1 and 2. Fig.4 is a front view of the cylinder and itsdriving apparatus, partly in section, corresponding in scale with Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a side view of the mechanism for operating the cylinder tochange the air.

0 Fig. is a front view of one end of the cylinder and of the changingmechanism, partly in section. Figs. 6 and 7 are side views of thespring-key, through which the cylinder acts on the striking-action.

a, Fig. 1, is the treadle, situated at one side of and in or nearly inthe same horizontal plane with the pedals existing in ordinarypiano-fortes. It is articulated at b to the lower part of the case orframe 0 of the instrument, and is connected by a short connecting-rod,

(l, with a lever, 0, one end of which is attached to a fixedfulcrumpivot,f, (see. Fig. 2,) and the other end of which is connectedby a rod, g, with a crank-wrist on the fly-wheel. The

5 flywheel his loose upon the extremity of a horizontal shaft, i, but itis connected with the said shaftby a spring-pawl, i1, and ratchettooth,i", when the treadle is put in motion in the proper direction. The shaftiis free to turn in bearings j j, Fig. 1, fixed upon the l framing 7c ofthe instrument, and it is furnished with an endless screw, 1?, whichgears with a worm-wheel, l, which is fitted to turn loosely, but not tomove longitudinally, upon an axle,

This axle is prolonged to form a pivot for one end of the rotary musiccylinder 1), which is boxed centrally for its reception, as shown inFig. 4. The said wheel I has attached to its face which is next thecylinder a finger or carrier, at, which enters a hole in the cylinderfor the purpose of causing the latter to be driven by and rotate withthe said worm-wheel. On the same side of the saidwheel is the head ofaregulating-screw, which serves to arrest 6 the cylinder in itslongitudinal motion toward the said wheel. On the other face of the saidwheel I there is a slight projection, Z which during every revolution ofthe said wheel lifts a lever, l, (-see Figs. 1, 3, and 4,) intended tolift an indicating-needle, l, visible on the keyboard of the piano ateach change of the air.

The music-cylinder 1), having upon its circumference the points ofnotation of the airs, is mounted in a special manner. At one end thecylinder rests, as has been already described, on the pivot formed bythe fixed shaft in, and at the other end it is furnished with a centralgudgeon, g, which constitutes ajournal working in a bearing in ametallic support, 0', shown in Fig. 2, secured to the framing of thepiano. The cylinder, besides its movement which is transmitted to it bythe worm-wheel l and finger or carrier 02, has a longitudinal movement,which permits it to automatically 8 bring the points on itscircumference corresponding with each air in proper relation with thefingers of the special spring-key. The exact position of the cylinderduring its rotation is determined by a sort of knife-edged o slide, (1,which will be hereinafter described. The gudgeon q of the cylinder hasin it circular grooves s .9, equal in number to the airs noted on thecylinder, and the width of the spaces between these grooves is equal tothe thickness of the notation-points. Moreover, the extremity of thegudgeon is screw-threaded, and carries upon it a nut, t, furnished witha projection or pin on its circumference, which m, which is firmlybolted to the framing k. 55

at each change of air strikes against a roller, IOO

i, (see Fig. 4,) which is arranged on a pin fixed in the support 1*, thepurpose of this contact being, first, to present one of the grooves s inproper relation to the knife-edged slide 0, and, second, to present thepoints of notation of an air on the cylinder in proper relation to thefingers upon which they operate to play mechanically. During arevolution of the cylinder the projection on the nut t strikes against apin,n, fixed in the support 1', in such manner as to cause the said nutto turn back upon the threaded part of the gudgeon q a distance equal tothe interval comprised between two of the grooves s a in the saidgudgeon. This turning back of the nut permits, when the changing or" theair takes place, the longitudinal displacement of the cylinder, which iseffected by means of a spring, 40, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) which isattached to the support 7', and presses constantly against the adjacentend of the cylinder. Each air lasts during one revolution of thecylinder, and when it is desired to play the same air several times insuccession it. is only necessary to allow the cylinder to make as manyrevolutions in succession as may be desired without longitudinalmovement. In such case the nut t does not again encopnter the projection11, but remains fixed uponits screw-thread at a distance from the rolleri equal to the pitch of the thread or of the thickness of one of thegrooves s and an intervening space; but when it is desired to change theair, and for that purpose the button w is pulled to withdraw the slide 0from the groove sin the gudgeon the spring r pushes the cylinder to theproper position, where it is stopped by the nut '6 coming in contactwith the roller 1, the distance of the move ment being always regulatedby the pitch of the screw thread, and the position being alwaysregulated by the nut teeming against the roller t.

The mechanism for changing the air is operated by a button, :0,terminating a rod, y, passing through the forward part, 2, or the caseof the piano below the key-board. The rod y; is connected with a lever,A, fulcrumcd at B, (see Figs. 5, (S, 7,) upon the support 1'. (See Fig.5.) The lower part of this lover is torked to receive a stud on theslide 0 for the purpose of moving the latter. This slide 0, which isfurnished with a sort of knife or knife-edge, D, intended, when theoperation of the button 50 to start or change the air takes place, toenter one of the grooves s of the gudgeon q in such manner as to renderthe cylinder immovable lengthwise, and also to regulate exactly theposition of the pins or points on its circumference in relation to thefingers L of the spring-key, which will be hereinal'ter described. Theaction of the knife does not interfere with the rotary motion of thecylinder. At the same time, as theknife D takes position in one of thegrooves of the gudgeon of the cylinder, the spring-key puts itself inrange with the points of the cylinder. To this effect the upper part ofthe lever A is furnished with a long nose, E, intended to hook onto thespring-key and to hold it constantly in contact with the cylinder. (SeeFig. 6.) \Vhen, on the contrary, the key is not in operation, the rollerF on an elbowlever, G, operated by the lever A, supports the key. (SeeFi 7.) The key extends the whole length of the cylinder, and carries asmany fingers L as there are circumferential rows or ranks of points onthe cylinder. It is furnished at i s extremities with journals K, fittedto bearings in slides H and I, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) of which one, ll, ismounted on the frame If and the other, I, is mounted on the support r.This latter, I, has in it a curved slot, (see Fig. 5,) in which moves apin, K, serving as a guide to the key during its displacement. ThetingersLofthe key have at their frontends inclined beaks, upon which thepoints of the cylinder act to raise them as the cylinder rotates. Thesaid fingers are pivoted to forked flanges V, secured to a fixedlongitudinal beam, M. This latter carries on its upper part the spring Qand on its lower part a comb, N, and at the back of it are arranged thechucks O and the push-pins l, which are in number equal to the fingersL. Each puslr pin P is connected with a spring, Q, intended toconstantly press back the beaks of the tingers L into contact with thecylinder or the points thereof, and to press the push-pin upward. Theupper part of each push-pin is terminated by a buffer or soft button,ll, for striking one of thejacks ot' the piano-forte action T every timea. point on the cylinder passes by the beak ot' a finger. The spring Q,which has been strained by the action of the cylinder-tooth on thefinger, then reacting to throw up the push-pin, and thereby throw up thejack against the hammer-butt.

The action may be of ordinary construction, or similar to that used witha. manual keyboard in ordinary piano-fortes, as shown in Fig. 1.

It may be remarked that the action of the push-pins P does not in anyway affect the operation of the ordinary keys ot' the piano, eitherwhile they are in operative position shown in Fi 6, or in theinoperative position shown in Fig. 7. The action of the piano iscompletelyindependent, and may be played either on the ordinarykey-board or by the special keys operated by the cylinder.

WhatI claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the cylinder, of the gudgcon 9, provided withcircumferential grooves s and a screw-thread, the nut '1', the fixed pina, the roller '6, arranged on another fixed pin, and the spring a andthe knifeedged slide 0 D, all substantiall as herein described.

JEAN LAGAPE.

Witnesses:

Eire. DUBAIL,

Scrrwnn.

